The present invention relates to fluid flow control devices, and is particularly directed to thermally responsive valves useful in modulating the flow of refrigerant in heat pump and air conditioning applications.
In a refrigeration cycle wherein refrigerant flow to the evaporator coil is metered by a fixed orifice, there is no modulation of flow with load variations. It is sometimes desirable to decrease the rate of flow of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator coil in order to reduce power requirements and consequently improve efficiency of the system.
The present invention is directed to providing a simple and inexpensive device which operates automatically to modulate refrigerant flow in a refrigeration cycle in a novel and improved manner.
A further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerant throttling device which operates automatically in response to changes in the temperature of refrigerant flowing therethrough.
Another object is to provide a device which may be easily and quickly installed in a refrigerant flow line, and which includes a flow throttling element movable between first and second positions in response to variations above and below a predetermined level of the temperature of liquid refrigerant flowing therethrough.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.